Opposition cares for family, not PDA: Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday slammed Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav ‘PDA’ pitch, saying the Opposition party cared more about parivar than marginalised communities.

The SP chief had earlier claimed the Union Budget 2026-27 had largely ignored the ‘PDA’, Yadav’s coinage denoting ‘pichde’ (backward classes), Dalit and ‘alpshanyak’ (minorities). Responding to a query on Yadav’s comment while speaking to mediapersons , Adityanath said, “Those who make such claims must be asked that while the double engine Government has ensured that 25 crore people across the country, including six crore in Uttar Pradesh, move ahead with pride and dignity, why could the same not be achieved during their tenure? The PDA must have been there then too.”

The chief minister questioned why the PDA was not discussed during the previous Government, alleging that the past dispensation had only cared about ‘parivar’, he said. He claimed safeguarding the PDA was merely a ruse to mislead the masses for the sake of the dynasty. “For the prime minister, the nation is family.

Our vision is to help the poor, youth, and farmers. Our goal is to ensure top-class infrastructure, one aimed at realising the goal of an ‘atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant) and ‘viksit’ Bharat.

This vision is amply reflected in the Union Budget, but those without vision, those who lack any plan for the future, can only make such meaningless claims,” Adityanath said.

He also dismissed Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the Union budget and pointed out various budgetary allocations which he claimed would facilitate the country’s growth.

The chief minister said a substantial allocation has been made for the defence sector, which will boost the development of a ‘defence manufacturing corridor’ in Uttar Pradesh. “Six nodes of the defence manufacturing corridor are being developed in the State. We have received investment proposals worth Rs 12,500 crore for these nodes and the projects are being implemented. As many as 40,000 youths have found employment due to this,” he said, adding that various defence-related projects are being undertaken in UP. “Brahmos missile is already being manufactured in Lucknow. Drone manufacturing is on the rise.

Adani Ammunition Works is set to come up in Kanpur, and Bharat Dynamics Limited will soon commence manufacturing in Jhansi,” Adityanath said, asserting that increased defence allocation in the Union Budget would help Uttar Pradesh emerge as a hub of defence manufacturing in the country.

He also said apart from the six nodes, efforts were underway to develop more defence manufacturing hubs by facilitating industrialisation through land banks.